Forgetmenot
by kaerfemina
Summary: Kagome has an accident and Kouga rescues her. When she wakes, she is discovered to have amnesia! However, she does remember everything about a certain wolf... CH 8 IS FINALLY UP! Please R&R!
1. The Accident

A/N: I know many of you have been waiting for an update to my other stories, but I had this little idea floating around in my head and it wouldn't let me concentrate on my other stories so I just had to get it written so that I could focus on the other ones again. Well, I hope you like this one.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha, because if I did, there would have been a lot more romance. :D This will be my only disclaimer, so don't sue me if there isn't one on the other chapters.

* * *

Chapter One

He ran as fast as he could, pushing his legs to the extreme. He could smell it, the scent of his beautiful Kagome, that stupid mutt-face, and fresh youkai blood. He knew they were in yet another battle and he needed to get there to protect his woman. He did not trust the mutt to do it for him. As he neared the source of the scent of battle, he realized that it was atop a large cliff, and Kagome was standing way too close the ledge.

Just then, an explosion occurred and Kagome was thrown backwards over the edge of the cliff. Horrified, Kouga watched as she plummeted to the ground below her. Even with his unparalleled speed, he knew he would never reach her in time to catch her. He prayed to the kami that she would be all right. Luckily for her, there was a clump of leafy trees below her that broke her fall a little. She hit the ground pretty hard still and was rendered unconscious.

Kouga reached her shortly after she landed and knelt beside her. He looked her over and there were a few scratches, but nothing serious. He checked all of her limbs and concluded that no bones were broken. She had been lucky. When he examined her head, however, he felt a large bump beginning to form from where her head struck the ground.

"Stupid mutt! Can't even keep Kagome safe!" He carefully lifted the woman into his arms. "Don't worry, love, I'll keep you safe from now on." And with that he sped off toward the wolf dens.  


* * *

Kagome woke. She was lying on soft, fur-covered straw and was blanketed in even softer furs. Her head throbbed softly. She tried to sit up to get a better look at her surroundings but that only made her head feel worse so she lay back down. 'Where am I?' she thought trying to look around the room. She knew that she was inside a cave by the look of the room she was in. 'How did I get here?'

She continued to inspect the room the best she could from her place on the makeshift bed. Across from her, in a shadowy area, she could see a man. He was propped up against the wall and soft snores could be heard escaping his throat. He had dark, black hair pulled into a ponytail and was dressed in furs. She knew that she recognized him but couldn't place who he was. Even though shadows hid most of his face, she could tell he was very handsome. The muscles beneath his tanned skin were toned to perfection. 'I wonder how it would feel to touch them?' She immediately blushed at her thoughts and turned to look away from the gorgeous man that sat and kept watch over her. 'Who is he? I have a feeling I know him, but I can't remember.'

"Kagome, you're awake!" A deep voice exclaimed softly.

She turned her head back to face the man to find him kneeling directly beside her. She looked up into the most brilliantly blue eyes that she had ever seen. The blue pools seemed to have a light that shined from within them making him look ethereal. She gasped at the sight of them and a delicate pink spread across her cheeks as she shifted her gaze away from his handsome face.

"How do you feel, Kagome? Are you in pain?"

"I have a headache but other than that, I feel fine. How long have I been asleep?"

"Nearly two days, I was so worried." He breathed a sigh of relief and sat back a bit. "Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Or maybe you're thirsty?"

"Oh, no thank you Kouga. I'm fine." 'Kouga! How did I know his name was Kouga?!' Kagome's mind reeled at this. She recognized him and even knew his name but couldn't remember anything that had happened before she had woken up. What was happening to her?

Kouga noticed a slight look of panic pass through her eyes. He reached over and brushed her bangs from her eyes. "Tell me, what is troubling you, Kagome?"

Kagome blushed once more at his gentle touch. "I don't really know what it is but I can't remember anything from before I woke up." Kouga's eyes widened but he noticed she wasn't finished so he said nothing as she continued. "The only thing I seem to remember is you. I recognized your face and I knew your name but I don't know why. Kouga, what is wrong with me?"

"It seems to me like you have an advanced case of amnesia." Kouga said, softly stroking her hair. Inwardly, his heart was leaping for joy that it was he that she remembered and no one else. He felt that this had some kind of significance. "You don't remember anything at all?"

Kagome shook her head, "Only you." Her words made him feel as if his heart grew wings and carried him to the moon.

Suddenly, without warning, Kagome's eyes glazed over and images flashed before her mind's eye. She saw an image of Kouga carrying her, another of Kouga clasping both her hands and looking down at her with serious eyes, of a time when he had brought her flowers, and finally an image of Kouga's head lying in her lap, his body battered and bleeding and his right arm looked as if it was terribly infected as his skin was turning purple. His face was tight from the pain and he clutched at her. As her visions faded only a moment after they had begun, her eyes welled with tears as she remembered everything about him. How he had suffered from losing most of his pack to the birds of paradise and Kagura, how he pursued after her tirelessly, and how he proclaimed his love for her and called her his woman.

"Kagome, are you alright?!" Kouga's concerned voice sounded slightly panicked. He never liked it when a woman cried, especially _his_ woman, because he never knew how to comfort them since their tears seemed to come out of nowhere.

Kagome looked up at him through tear blurred sight she sat up slightly, ignoring the pain in her head that was caused by her moving, and collapsed into his chest and wept. She clung to his armor and pulled her face tight up against his warm chest. "Kouga, I'm so…sorry!" She sobbed.

He was shocked at her actions but he wasn't one to let an opportunity like this pass him by. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair on the back of her head. Looking down at her, he spoke, "Sorry? What for?"

"You've had…such a difficult life…and had to endure…so much pain. I'm just…so sorry." She managed to answer, attempting to swallow her sobs.

Kouga continued to stroke her hair, not sure how to comfort her. Then something hit him. "Kagome, does this mean your memories have returned?!"

She shook her head. She pulled away from him enough to look up into his eyes. Tears still streaked down her fair skin but her voice was even as she spoke, "I only remember you. Anything that has to do with you, I remember, but nothing else."

Kouga smiled down at her and pulled her back into his chest and resumed his steady stroking. "There, there, Kagome. Please don't cry. Everything is fine. As long as you are here with me, I'm happy."

Kagome smiled into his chest as the last of her tears trailed down her cheek and dripped off her chin onto the furs that covered her lap. She felt herself relax into the loving embrace of the wolf and instantly felt content in his arms. She readjusted herself so that she was lounging in his lap with her head against his chest which caused Kouga to stiffen at her boldness. But soon he relaxed and hugged her closer. She snuggled into his warmth and soon drifted off to sleep.


	2. Dreams & Hunger Pains

A/N: Whoo-hoo! I finally found some time to sit down and write! I hope you enjoy this update!

"speaking" 'thinking' _flashback/dream_

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

Kouga looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms. She looked so peaceful and happy. His heart swelled with joy that she found comfort in his embrace. He felt her move in his lap as she snuggled closer into his warmth. She murmured his name in her sleep and his heart skipped a beat. 'She's dreaming of me?' His smile widened as he hugged her closer to him. 'I wonder what it is she dreams?'

Suddenly, Kouga got extremely tired. It was like a wave that crashed over him. He had been so worried about Kagome's wellbeing, that he hadn't slept much. He wanted to watch over her and make sure that she was all right. Over the span of the last two days, he only had a couple of hours of sleep. Gently, he laid Kagome back on the bed of furs. He intended to return to his spot on the wall to doze, but Kagome reached out to him and pulled him to her. "Don't leave me" she whispered, a hint of fear in her words. Her eyes slid open and she looked up at him. He looked into the mahogany depths as she silently pleaded with him. How could he say no to that?

"I would never leave you, my love." She smiled as he lay beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She sighed contentedly and slipped back to sleep. He squeezed her into his chest, insanely happy to just be this near to her. Relishing in both her warmth and her sweet scent, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

_

* * *

Kagome stood in a sunlit field surrounded by a dense forest. All around her feet and throughout the meadow were pretty little sky-blue flowers. She instantly recognized them as Forget-me-nots. She heard all the sounds of nature and saw its beauty but she felt so lonely._

_All of a sudden, a miniature tornado burst from the trees and made a beeline for her. It circled around her a few times, the wind causing her hair to whirl about wildly. She giggled and tried to no avail to keep her raven locks from her face. The cyclone stopped abruptly in front of her and dissipated to reveal Kouga standing before her. He held in his hands a bouquet of the little flowers that dotted the field. The flowers in his hand matched his eyes perfectly. Kagome smiled and approached him. As she reached to take the flowers he had picked for her, he pulled them just out of her grasp._

"_Kouga?" She asked, confused. She reached for the flowers again and he pulled them away once again._

"_You won't ever forget me, will you Kagome?" He said, looking seriously into her eyes._

"_How could I ever forget you, Kouga?"_

"_You forgot everyone else."_

"_I did?"_

_He just nodded and handed her the flowers. He pulled a single flower out of the bouquet and tucked it behind her ear. Her cheeks dusted a light pink. "Don't ever forget me, okay?"_

_As she began to answer, the sky filled with dark clouds. Someone from behind her grabbed her hand. She turned and saw a man in red with white hair and pointed ears on top of his head. For whatever reason though, her eyes wouldn't focus on any of his other features and she didn't recognize him. "Kagome, the jewel." She was confused at his words._

_The stranger began to pull her away from Kouga. She turned to reach for him so that he could help her, but she saw that a strange girl dressed in white fur with red hair was pulling him away from her. Kagome couldn't see her face. She stretched her hand out to him and strained against the stranger's strong grasp. "KOUGA!"_

_Kouga looked up to see the panic in her eyes and copied her actions. "KAGOME!" He called as he pulled against his captor._

_Neither of them could break away and they were dragged into the woods on opposite ends of the field._

* * *

Both Kouga and Kagome sat straight up. In their panicked rush, their heads clunked together. "OW!" they said simultaneously, rubbing their heads.

"Are you alright, Kagome?"

Kagome still rubbed the side of her head. "I think so, Kouga. But I had a horrible dream!"

"I did too. Wanna talk about it?"

She nodded and started to explain her dream. As she told the story, Kouga's eyes grew wider and wider but he did not interrupt. When she finished, he just stared at her, his mouth open slightly and his eyes wide as plates. "Umm…Kouga?" Kagome waved her hand in front of his face.

He broke out of his trance and shook his head slightly. "That's so strange,"

"What?"

"I had the exact same dream only in my perspective."

"That _is_ weird. What do you think it means?"

"I have no idea. Maybe it's just an odd coincidence?" Kouga put his hand to his chin and thought.

Suddenly, Kagome's stomach growled loudly. She put her hands on her stomach and blushed crimson.

He chuckled. "You're hungry?" She nodded. "I'm not surprised. You haven't eaten in over two days now. What would you like?"

Kagome thought a moment. "What kinds of breakfast foods do you have, Kouga?"

"You can have anything you want, 'cause I'll get it for you personally. If we don't have it in the cave I'll go find it elsewhere."

"Okay, I'll have 2 eggs, over easy, bacon and bread lightly toasted with strawberry jam." Her mouth watered just thinking about it.

Kouga stared at her not knowing what any of what she said was. The only words he recognized was, "bread," "egg," and "strawberry."

"What's the matter, Kouga?"

"Umm…I don't know what most of that stuff is. What is 'over easy' or 'bacon' or 'jam'?"

Kagome laughed out loud. Her laugh was music to his ears, even if she was laughing at his expense. He smiled sheepishly. "Oh, Kouga, you are too funny. 'Over easy' is a way to cook eggs. Crack the egg, cook one side of it, flip it and cook the other side. It's simple really. 'Bacon' is a small, thin strip of meat from a pig, though I'm not sure what part. It is cooked to become crispy and is very tasty. And finally, 'jam' is a thick, sugary, fruit substance that is very good on toasted bread."

Kouga nodded at her explanation. "That doesn't seem too hard. How do you toast bread?"

"I guess you would hold it rear the fire until it starts to brown, flip it and do the same, then remove it."

"Okay, you stay here and I'll go get you the food." Kouga stood, and left the cave through a small passage.

Kagome stretched and lay back down waiting for Kouga to return.

* * *

Kouga found the eggs easily enough; they had a ton of them in the cave's food storage. The bacon was a little harder to find because he had to go find a boar to kill for it. Since he didn't know which part of the pig the bacon comes from, he made thin strips from every section of it and hoped for the best. He went to a nearby village and politely asked for a loaf of bread and some strawberry jam. They gladly gave it to him because his pack had helped their village many times from demon attacks. 'Time to go cook all this stuff and get it to my hungry woman.' He chuckled a little at his thoughts and sped off back to the den.

* * *

Kagome had started to doze again when the smell of bacon cooking assaulted her nose. Her stomach growled loudly so she stood and followed her nose out of the cave. She walked down carved-out, rock passageways until she reached a large room filled with wolf demons.

"Nee-san! You're awake!" One of them ran up to her. He lifted her off the ground in a big hug.

Not recognizing who he was, she flinched as he came closer and squealed when he grabbed her.

He gently set her down. "Oh, sorry, Nee-san. I didn't mean to scare you. Kouga said your memory was damaged in the fall. I guess he was right. I'm Hakkaku."

She tried to will her heart to calm from her scare. 'He's a friend of Kouga's. Calm down!' "Hi, Hakkaku. Why do you keep calling me Nee-san?"

"Because you're Kouga's intended mate. That makes you part of the pack, Nee-san. You're the Alpha Female!"

Kagome's eyes widened at that.

* * *

Kouga was just finishing Kagome's breakfast when he heard her scream. He growled wondering who in his pack would dare to harm_ his_ Kagome. He rushed out of the kitchen to her rescue.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked the update! REVIEW!

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	3. Inuyasha's Confrontation

A/N: Oh! I'm so excited about this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

I own nothing!

"speaking" 'thinking' _flashback/dream_

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Inuyasha's eyes slid open to see the wood ceiling of Kaede's hut. Pain surged from his gut and pulsed in his head. He groaned and attempted to sit up.

A hand was placed on his chest and he was pushed back onto the straw mat. "You should not move around, Inuyasha." Kaede started. "That explosion you endured caused a lot of internal damage. Even with your demon blood, you must rest."

At the mention of the explosion, Inuyasha's eyes frantically searched the hut. Then he turned his panicked eyes to the old priestess's face. "Where's Kagome?!"

* * *

Kouga rushed into the main den to see Hakkaku talking excitedly to Kagome. Her face was flushed slightly so he ran over to her. "Kagome, are you alright? I heard you scream!"

She giggled. "Sorry I worried you, Kouga. Hakkaku here startled me."

Kouga visibly relaxed. "Oh good."

Kagome's stomach growled again. "Um, Kouga?"

He flashed her his famous cocky smile. "What is it, Love?"

She blushed at the pet name. "Is my breakfast ready? I'm pretty hungry."

"Of course! I'm sorry, I forgot!"

"It's alri-WHOA!" Kouga lifted her off the ground, bridal style. He looked down at her with his cocky smile again and she blushed deeply. Then he took off running through rocky passageways until they came to another open cave. In the center of the room, was a large table, low to the ground, surrounded by seating pillows.

"Wait here. I'll go get your breakfast." He said, returning her to her feet.

She nodded and he dashed off again. She turned to the table and sat on one of the pillows. It was then that she thought about what Hakkaku said earlier. 'I'm Kouga's intended mate? Alpha Female? This is all so confusing! And I don't even know how I feel about anything right now. Maybe I'll be able to think better once I have food in my stomach.'

As she was thinking, Kouga reentered the room with two trays of food. Since he figured he made too much for her to eat, he thought he'd give this foreign food a try. It smelled quite good. He placed a tray in front of her. Kagome looked up at him, startled slightly. He chuckled at her. "You were thinking pretty hard there."

Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Yeah,"

"What about?" he said as he sat across the table from her.

"About how everything is so confusing."

"I see. Don't worry, I'll help you out all that I can."

"Thanks Kouga." With that she plowed into the food in front of her. She ate like she had never eaten before.

"Jeez, Kagome! Slow down, or you'll choke!"

Swallowing a large mouthful, she replied, "I'm sorry, it's just really good and I'm so hungry!"

"I'm glad you like it, but you need to be careful. I don't want you to choke to death on me."

She nodded and obediently slowed down and ate smaller bites. After a few moments, she noticed his still full tray in front of him. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I will, but right now I'm enjoying watching you enjoy the food I made for you."

She blushed again. "But it's getting cold. It's not nearly as good when it's cold. Just try it. I want to know how you like it."

"Fine," He placed a piece of egg in his mouth. His eyes widened and he shoveled in the rest. He always had eggs either raw or hard-boiled. These eggs where great! Kagome giggled at his behavior. Everything he ate was wonderful and he licked his plate clean, literally. When he finished, he leaned back and sighed.

"You liked it, I see."

He nodded and rubbed his full stomach.

She giggled and finished the last bite of her toast and jam. "Thank you very much, Kouga. That was great!"

"You're welcome, and thank you for introducing me to new foods."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

"What would you like to do now?"

"Could I go outside and get some fresh air?"

"Of course! Anything for you, Love!"

* * *

Inuyasha pounded on the door. "Let me out of here you damn monk! Where's Kagome?!"

The group had once again successfully put him into a small hut and sealed him inside. He was too injured to go off and be a hero. Sango was out with Kirara searching for Kagome right now. The explosion sent all of them off in different directions so they have no idea where Kagome landed. The worst part was that Kirara hasn't been able to find a trace of Kagome's scent anywhere near the battle area. It's like she dropped off the face of the earth.

Miroku called to the hanyou over his incessant banging, "Inuyasha! Calm down! You have to rest! Your injuries are too great! You are no _good_ to Kagome this way!"

Silence. Then Miroku heard him mutter, "Damn you, monk."

He smiled. 'He's finally listening to reason.'

* * *

Kouga took Kagome outside as the sun was setting. The sky was golden and the wispy clouds were pink and purple.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Kagome said as she took in the scenery.

Kouga watched her as the wind caught her hair and caused it to flutter behind her. "Yes you are," He whispered.

She turned and smiled at him. "Let's go sit over there." She pointed to a small boulder surrounded by soft, green grass.

He nodded and followed her. They sat down on the cool rock and watched as the sun slowly sank towards the horizon.

After a minute or two Kagome turned to the wolf beside her and asked, "Kouga, what's it like to be the leader of your pack?"

He smiled and began to tell stories of leading the hunts, keeping those under him in line, and other things contributed to being the pack leader.

At first, Kagome listened intently but soon her mind began to wander. Her eyes watched as his lips moved. 'His lips look so soft. I wonder what it would be like to kiss him.' Her eyes widened slightly, but Kouga didn't notice. He was so engrossed in a hunting story. 'Oh my Gosh! Did I just think that?! Does this mean I like him? Does this mean I want to be Alpha Female? Gosh, I'm so confused!'

Kouga finally noticed Kagome's inner conflict. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him and blushed. "Oh, nothing! I'm fine!"

"You don't seem fine. You look bothered by something."

"I'm just confused."

"About what?"

"Something Hakkaku said earlier."

"Hakkaku is one of my best friends but he can be an idiot sometimes. What did he say?"

"That I am the pack's Alpha Female."

His eyes widened. He'd have to tread carefully here. "Well, they see you that way, but it's not official."

"I don't get it, why do they see me like that?"

"Because I'm the Alpha Male." He internally cringed slightly hoping this wouldn't scare her away.

"What does that have to do with me?" She had to hear it from him.

Kouga drew in a deep breath hoping this wouldn't kill his chance with her. "You are my intended." He gazed at her trying to read her face.

"That's what I thought."

He looked at her confused. "You're okay with that?"

"I just don't know what to think about it. That's why I'm confused. I don't know how to feel."

Kouga stared at her a moment. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure,"

"Wolf demons mate for life, and we only have one intended throughout our lifetime. It's what most humans call 'soul mates.' When we find our intended, we just know. I knew with you. I loved you from the beginning. I feel as if I've loved you since before I even met you. However, I will understand if you refuse me. My heart belongs to you, though, and no one else. I will be destined to never mate and raise pups. If your choice is to reject me, I'll accept that fate without regret. Because at least I was able to know you." He said, sounding quite depressed and unable to look her in the face.

Suddenly, he smelled salt in the air. Startled, He looked over to his beloved beside him. Tears streamed down her face. She stretched her arms around him and squeezed. "That was beautiful, Kouga." She whispered. "I never knew any of that."

"Does this mean you're accepting me as your mate?" Hope filled his eyes.

"No,"

His face fell. "Then you're rejecting me?"

"I didn't say that either."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I want to get to know you more. If you think we're soul mates, then I want to see if it is true. Since I'm not a demon, I can't just _know_ these things. Give me some time to decide. I'll let you know when I know, okay?"

"Alright, that sounds fair."

"Let's get back inside, it's kind of chilly out here now that the sun has set."

"Sure," He picked her up and dashed into the warmth of the cave.

* * *

Inuyasha figured out a way to get out of his prison. He pried off a few floorboards and dug a tunnel under the hut wall. In doing so, he tore open a few of his wounds but he didn't care. He had to find Kagome. During the explosion, he saw her get flung off the cliff. He hoped that she was all right and she wasn't hurt. It had already been at least three days since the explosion. If she was hurt, she wouldn't survive for very long.

When he finally emerged on the other side of the wall, he jumped out of the hole he made, shook off what dirt he could and ran straight for the battle site.

He made it to the bottom of the cliff fairly quickly. He got down on his hands and knees and sniffed the ground. He came to the point where Kagome landed and he growled. Kagome's scent was old and faint, he would have a hard time following it precisely, but that wasn't the cause of the growl. There, mixed with Kagome's scent, was the scent of his rival, Kouga. Now he didn't need to worry about following a faded scent trail. He knew exactly where she was.

* * *

Kagome sat between Kouga and Hakkaku around the main cave's big bonfire. Hakkaku was talking to a wolf demon on the other side of him who, if she remembered right, was named "Ginta." And Kouga was disciplining a pup for kicking around a red-hot coal from the fire. She had sat there and watched everything that was going on in the cave around her but she felt so detached from it. How was she supposed to be the Alpha Female when she didn't feel a connection to them?

Suddenly, she heard a cry and she looked over to see that a pup that had been wrestling before with some of the other pups, had been pushed over onto a sharp stone and now had a pretty sizable gash on his thigh. She jumped up and rushed over to him. The cub was sobbing uncontrollably, so she scooped him up into her arms and cooed to him that everything would be all right and she would fix him up. His tears slowed and his sobs turned into soft whimpers. When he had calmed down enough, she ripped off her own sleeve and tied it securely around his leg. "There you go, little one. You should be all better in a day or two. Change this bandage in the morning, okay?"

The boy nodded and slid off her lap and limped to his grateful mother. Kagome smiled and waved to her and the young wolf mother returned the gesture.

Kouga walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "That's my compassionate Kagome."

She looked up at him. "And just when I was feeling so isolated from the pack."

"You what?"

"I was sitting over there feeling like I had no connection to anyone here. I mean, other than you, of course. But now, I think I made a big impression on that little guy." She smiled.

He looked over at the injured boy who was gesturing to his mother about how Kagome helped him. He returned her smile. "Yes, I think you did too."

Kagome stood and Kouga looked at her funny. "What?"

"I think we need to find you some new clothes."

"What? Why?"

"Well the ones you have on are covered in blood and ripped."

She looked down at herself. "I guess your right." She said laughing.

* * *

Kagome once again sat by the fire. She was now dressed like a wolf demon, wearing furs and armor to match Kouga's. They were surprisingly comfortable. And now she felt much more connected to the pack. Most of the female demons wanted to talk to her and she felt accepted. She was very content.

They had just finished eating dinner in the dining hall that Kagome had enjoyed her breakfast in earlier that day. Kagome had never eaten venison before and she loved it. It was tender and had a really lovely, interesting flavor. Now, though, all the wolf demons had congregated back in the main den.

Kagome yawned. "Tired?" Kouga asked. She nodded having a hard time keeping her eyes open. "Come on, I'll take you to bed." He picked her up and walked down a hall to a dark wood door. Pushing it open with his foot, he walked in. Inside was a nicely furnished bedroom. Kouga laid the half-asleep Kagome on the bed and pulled the furs over her. "Goodnight, my love." He said as he placed a peck on her forehead.

Kagome looked up at him. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"

"I'll be back in a minute. I'm going to go tell Ginta and Hakkaku to head up the night watch tonight."

"Okay." Kagome said through another yawn.

He smiled down at her and turned and walked out of the room. Kagome shut her eyes. She meant to wait until he got back, but before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

Kouga came back into the room a few minutes later to find that she had fallen asleep. He removed his armor, put out the fire in the fireplace and climbed into the bed beside her. As soon as he lay down beside her she snuggled right next to him and sighed contentedly. Kouga smiled and closed his eyes and followed his woman into slumber.

* * *

Inuyasha had been running for hours. The sun had set a little while ago. He could see the waterfall far off in the distance. He would rest here for the night but he would be there by morning. Kagome had better be okay or Kouga was going to have hell to pay.

* * *

Kagome's eyes slid open. It was unusually bright. She wondered where the light came from since she was in a cave. She sat up and stretched. That's when she noticed the half-naked Kouga beside her. She was startled to find that he only had his fur loincloth on.

She climbed out of the bed causing Kouga to wake up.

"Where are you going, Love?" He asked groggily as he sat up. The furs fell from his body and Kagome could see his perfectly sculpted muscles. She felt her cheeks heat up and her heart speed up at the sight of him.

She shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, unsure of what to say. "Umm…"

Kouga smiled as he caught the scent of her slight arousal. 'So she likes my body, huh?' "Never mind, I'll go with you." Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She watched as he got out of bed and put his armor back on. He turned to her when he was finished. "Shall we?" She nodded and they both walked out into the main den.

From across the den, the little pup Kagome helped last night waved to her. She smiled and waved back. When she did so, the boy got up and ran over to her. "Look, Kagome-nee-san! My leg is much better!"

"I can see that. It is healing very nicely." She knelt down so she could be at his level.

A few other pups gathered around her. "Can you come play with us, Nee-san?" They asked.

She looked up at Kouga. He smiled at how all the pups loved her. She would make a wonderful mother one day. "Go ahead, I have things to take care of anyway."

"Thank you, Kouga." She said as the children cheered. They grabbed her by the hands and dragged her out into the field to play.

* * *

The sun was rising over the hills and Inuyasha was already on the move. He would be there soon.

"Don't worry, Kagome." He thought out loud. "I'm coming to save you."

* * *

Kagome played tag with the kids for a while but then they wanted to play Hide-and-Seek. So Kagome stood in the center of the field and began to count aloud. "ONE…TWO…THREE…!" Wolf pups laughed and scattered across the field.

Suddenly, Kagome had a strange sinking feeling. She opened her eyes and looked up to see a young man in red, with white hair and pointed ears on top of his head. He stood in front of the sun so his face was shadowed and she couldn't see it. 'It's that guy from my dream! Who is he?' She thought as she squinted into the bright sun.

"Hey, Nee-san! No peeking! That's cheating!" One of the boys said when he saw her eyes open. But then he saw that she was staring at something. He turned to see Inuyasha on the hill. Knowing who he was, the boy dashed for the den. 'I need to get Kouga!'

Inuyasha leaped down the hill and landed before Kagome. "Kagome…" He said walking toward her slowly. He was relieved she was unharmed.

Kagome took a step back as he advanced on her. 'What does he want with me? How does he know my name?!'

It was then that he noticed what it was that she was wearing. He stopped in his tracks. "What the hell are you wearing?!"

She didn't know why, but that really annoyed her. "What does it look like I'm wearing?!" She screamed at him. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Inuyasha was slightly shocked. She was acting like she didn't recognize him. "Stop fooling around, Kagome, and let's go." He turned to walk away.

"No! I don't know you! How do you know my name?" She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

Inuyasha turned a shocked look at her. "What do you mean you don't know me?"

"Exactly as I said it. I don't know you. You're a _stranger_ to me. Now leave me alone."

He stared for a second. "What did Kouga do to you?"

"Don't you _dare_ bad mouth Kouga! He's done nothing wrong!"

Once again, the inu-hanyou was dumbstruck. "You're defending him? What's wrong with you?!"

"Nothing! Now go away!"

"No, you're coming with me!" He grabbed for her and she screamed but before he could touch her, a fist collided with his face. He went flying across the field.

Kouga stood in front her. "Don't you dare touch her, you mutt!" He turned to Kagome. "Are you all right?" She nodded. "Go to the den, I'll take care of this."

"You'll be okay?"

"Of course. As if the mutt could do anything to me." He shot her his cocky smile and then turned away.

"Okay, just be careful and come back in one piece." With that she sprinted back to the den.

"Damn you, Wolf! What did you do to Kagome?!" Inuyasha roared as he lunged at Kouga.

Kouga easily dodged the attack. "I did nothing! She _chose_ to forget you when she fell of that cliff!"

Inuyasha froze. 'So she has amnesia. That explains a lot.' "Then let me just talk to her! Maybe I can get her memory to come back."

"What if she doesn't want it back? What did you do to make her want to forget you completely?"

"She has amnesia, she forgot you too, right?"

"No, I'm the only person she _does_ remember."

"WHAT!"

"That's right! Her mind chose _me_ over _you_!"

"That's insane!"

"It's true."

"Damn you!" He dove at the wolf again.

"Get over it, Mutt. She doesn't want you. Go back to the cold arms of your dead, clay whore."

"Kikyou is _not_ a whore, you bastard!" He slashed at him once more.

"If you feel so strongly about her, why do you care so much about Kagome?"

"She's the only one that can help us find the jewel shards!"

"Kikyou has the same ability, why don't you ask her to help you?"

Inuyasha stopped and thought about that. It was true that Kikyou could sense the shards of the Shikon Jewel but would she help him? Forgetting about Kagome for the time being, he just took off to look for her.

Kouga sighed in relief. Another crisis averted.

* * *

A/N: Whew! That was a long one! Like twice as long as normal! But I just didn't want to end it until Inuyasha was dealt with. I know it's kinda weird that Inuyasha would just give up on Kagome so easily, but she clearly doesn't remember him. He'd rather be with Kikyou anyway, right?

The relationship between Kouga and Kagome seems to be heating up, right? I'm getting excited about what I'm going to write next! Stay tuned! :D

It may be a while before I update this again so I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter.

Until next time!

kaerfemina


	4. Ayame's Visit

A/N: I meant to update my other stories before I updated this one again, but all my other stories seemed boring when compared to what I wanted to write in this chapter. So for your reading pleasure, here is chapter 4!

I do not own them, but could I maybe rent?

"speaking" 'thinking' _flashback/dream_

* * *

Ch 4- Ayame's Visit

* * *

Kouga turned and walked back to the den. Just inside, Kagome was waiting for him. "Is he gone?"

"Yep! I got rid of him." He smiled.

"What did he want?"

"Oh nothing, don't worry your pretty little head about it. He's gone now, so there's nothing left to fuss over."

"Oh…alright. Umm, Kouga?"

"Yeah?"

"Where can I take a bath? I haven't had one in a few days…"

"Oh! I'll take you to the hot springs myself!"

Kagome yelped in surprise as he whisked her off her feet and carried her to a section of the cave she's never been. When he put her down, she looked around. There, in the middle of the cave was a huge hot spring. The whole cave was steamy like a sauna.

"Wow! I had no idea this was here! This is amazing!" She turned to her wolf companion. "Thanks Kouga!" She smiled brightly at him.

"No problem, enjoy yourself. I'll be back in an hour."

"Y-you're not staying?"

Kouga was shocked. "You want me to?"

"Well, I'd like some company." She was blushing now realizing what she just insinuated.

"I'd love to take a bath with you, if that's what you want." He said.

Kagome's whole face was crimson now and he chuckled at how cute she was when she was embarrassed. "Umm…sure, Kouga. Just don't look."

"No, I'd never want you to feel uncomfortable."

"Good, I-I'll meet y-you in the water in a m-minute." Kagome's face was so hot she thought it might just melt off.

"Okay." Kouga was thrilled. He was taking a bath with the woman he adored. This was a dream come true. He watched as she went and hid behind a rock to get unchanged. When she was out of sight, he quickly stripped himself of his armor and furs and rushed into the water.

* * *

Kagome was shaking. It made it very difficult to remove her clothes. But when she managed to get them all off she froze. 'I'm going to be taking a bath with Kouga! What am I thinking?! But it's too late to back out now!'

She peeked out from behind her rock. "Kouga?"

"I'm in the water!" He called out.

She looked and saw him standing in waist-deep water, his skin shiny and wet and his hair down from its usual ponytail. He was gorgeous and her face heated up again. "Umm… I'm coming in now, don't look."

"Okay."

She carefully stepped into the warm water and walked into where he was. She sat on a rock, successfully hiding herself from Kouga's eyes.

"Alright, Kouga. You can open your eyes now."

He turned and saw her seated on a rock. Her face was flushed from embarrassment. "Are you really okay with this?"

"Well, I've never bathed with anyone before. At least I don't remember it. But I didn't want to be alone, not after what happened outside."

Kouga walked over to her and sat beside her. "I understand."

"Thanks, Kouga." She smiled weakly at him.

"Hey, cheer up!" He splashed her with water.

"Kouga, stop it!" She giggled, splashing him back.

They continued their splash fight until Kagome slipped on the slick rocks and her head went under water. She came up coughing.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

"*cough* I think so, *cough-cough*" She opened her eyes to find Kouga almost nose-to-nose with her. His eyes shone with concern. Her heart sped up and her breath caught in her throat. She felt the blood come to her cheeks. She turned quickly and shifted her gaze away from his beautiful eyes. "I'm fine now, Kouga. Can we finish our bath now?"

"Of course." He smiled and took her hand and helped her find a good seat on the slippery rocks.

When they had finished washing, Kouga got out first. Kagome was curious, so she stole a quick look and saw a furry tail swaying from his backside. She quickly looked away hoping he didn't notice her inappropriate glance. He finished dressing and called to Kagome, "I'm dressed, you can come out now!"

"You won't look, right?"

"I promise."

"Okay, turn around and close your eyes."

When he did, she climbed out of the warm water and went behind the rock again. She quickly dressed and came around to Kouga again. She giggled as he still had his eyes closed. "Kouga, open your eyes!"

He did and looked at her. "Well you didn't tell me when it was safe to open them, so I kept them closed."

"You're such a gentleman!" She said coming up beside him and grabbed his hand. "Shall we?"

Kouga beamed down at her. This was the first time she initiated an affectionate touch with him. "Sure!" They walked out of the hot spring hand-in-hand. Kouga was wearing a goofy, extra-happy smile and Kagome felt safe as long as she was close to him.

As they walked, Kagome's curiosity got the best of her. "Kouga?"

"Hm?"

"I didn't know you had a tail."

Kouga's cheeks tinted pink for a moment. "Well, it's not that common in wolf demons but both my parents had tails so I got it from them."

"I think it's cute." She squeezed his hand gently and smiled at him.

Kouga looked at her a little surprised. He feared that she would find it strange, but she actually liked it. This was definitely the woman for him. Suddenly a light came on in his head. "Kagome, you couldn't see my tail through the water, what did you do, peek at me getting out of the bath?" he teased.

Her face immediately turned deep crimson and she stumbled over herself to find an answer. "Wha…! Well, I… Um…You see… Well…"

He chuckled and took her hands in his. "It's alright, I don't mind. Let's go get something to eat."

She nodded and they walked off.

* * *

Kouga and Kagome were sitting down enjoying lunch when Ginta came rushing into the dinning cave and ran straight to Kouga. He leaned in and whispered something into his ear. Kouga's eyes shot open wide and he scrambled to his feet.

Kagome looked up at him with a confused and worried look. "What's wrong, Kouga?"

"I need to take care of something. Wait here. I'll be right back. Ginta, keep Kagome company until I get back."

"Yes sir, Kouga!" Ginta said, saluting him. Kouga rolled his eyes and left.

Ginta sat down beside Kagome in place of Kouga. She turned to him and asked, "What's going on Ginta? Why did Kouga need to leave so fast?"

"Oh, he just needs to go get rid of Ayame. She came to visit again."

"Ayame? Who's she?"

"She's the granddaughter of the leader of the tribe in the northern mountains."

"Why does he want to get rid of her?"

"Because she thinks Kouga is her fiancé…" He was cut off.

"WHAT!?"

"Nee-san, calm down!" Ginta held his hands up in front of him defensively.

"Kouga has a fiancé!?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Nee-san. Kouga doesn't like her…" But she didn't hear him. She had gotten up and followed after Kouga. "Wait, Nee-san! Kouga said to stay here!" But it was too late she was gone.

* * *

Kouga walked into the main den. He was in a foul mood now that _she_ was here.

"Kouga-kun!" Ayame cried as she flung herself at him to give him a hug.

Kouga sidestepped and she fell on her face.

"Ouch," She stood, rubbing her nose.

"What do you want, Ayame?"

"You know what I want. I want you…"

"You can't have me. I'm in love with someone else."

"But she's a human! At least we're the same species!"

"The heart wants what it wants, you know."

"I do know, Kouga. And mine wants you!" She flung herself at him again but this time Kouga wasn't ready for it. She latched onto him and crashed her face into his and kissed him.

Kouga's eyes grew wide and he tried to shove her away, but she had a vice-grip on him and he didn't want to hurt her.

At this moment, Kagome rounded the corner. She saw the girl from her nightmare kissing Kouga. She gasped as tears flooded her eyes. Her dream was coming true! This tramp was dragging him away from her. Tears streaming down her face, she turned to run.

Kouga heard her gasp and turned in time to see her tear-streaked face turn as she ran around the corner. He shoved Ayame off of him finally. She landed hard on her butt on the cold floor. "Kagome!" He called after her but she kept running. He turned to the wolf demoness on the floor. "Damn you!" He growled.

"What is she doing here?"

"That's none of your damn business! Get out of here and never come back! You may have just killed any chance that I had with Kagome! I hate you! I never want to see your childish face again!" With that said, he stormed off after the scent of Kagome's tears.

Ayame sat dumbstruck on the floor for a moment until his words sunk in. Her eyes welled with tears and she wailed as she stood and ran out of the den.

* * *

Kouga found Kagome sobbing on a pile of furs that were being prepared to make clothes and blankets for the pack. He approached her cautiously. "Kagome?"

"Leave me alone." She said flatly.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. Ayame just…"

"I said, 'Leave me alone!'"

"But I didn't kiss her, she kissed me!"

Kagome turned bloodshot, angry eyes on him. "I trusted you, Kouga! I thought that you really did love me!"

"I do!"

"Let me finish! Then you go and kiss her!"

"But I didn't!"

"You didn't stop her!"

Kouga cast his eyes down in shame. "I tried to, but she has a pretty tight grip and I didn't want to hurt her."

"So you hurt me instead?! That's much better!"

"I thought…it doesn't matter what I thought. I'm sorry. I should have stopped her." He reached for her hand but she pulled it away. "I don't care about her. I love _you_. She is still a child and has it in her head that we are meant to be together. But _you_ are my intended. She's nothing but a kid with a crush. She means nothing. Do you forgive me?" His eyes pleaded with her.

She just stared at him for a long time. She knew that he was telling her the truth. She could see it in his eyes. Not to mention, what he said last night about soul mates made her believe him. But she wasn't ready to forgive him. Seeing him in the arms of that other woman cut her deep to the heart. Suddenly, she realized something. 'I was jealous! Oh my Gosh! Does this mean I'm in love with him? I think it does!'

Kouga was at a loss. She was just staring at him not saying anything. Was she going to forgive him? Was this it? Was he going to loose her because of this? He felt like he couldn't take anymore when slowly a smile crept onto her face. Relief flooded him as he waited for her answer.

"I forgive you."

"Wonderful!" Kouga reached his arms out to pull her into a hug but she placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"You know what I just realized, Kouga?" He shook his head. "I was jealous. Do you know what that means?" He shook his head once more. Her smile widened as her eyes sparkled. "It means that I love you!"

Kouga's eyes widened to the point that she thought they might roll right out of his head. His shocked expression was quickly replaced by an expression of sheer joy. He stood up, picked her up and spun around with her. Kagome threw her arms out into the air and laughed. She was so happy. She was with the man she loved and he loved her. Life was perfect.

Kouga placed her on her feet again and clasped her hands. Looking down into her eyes he felt like his heart couldn't take any more happiness but he had to ask her. "Does this mean you'll be my mate?"

"Yes, of course!" She said smiling ear to ear. "Isn't that the point of our love?"

Mirroring her smile, he nodded and pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight. "I love you, Kagome."

"And I you, my love." Kagome answered as she looked up into his stunning blue eyes.

Kouga pulled her close again and nuzzled her neck, his lips running over the spot he would mark her as his. He felt her shiver under his touch and he smiled. Pulling back, he looked deep into her chocolate eyes as she gazed into his sky blue ones. Simultaneously they leaned toward each other until they were a breath apart.

Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart and closing his eyes, Kouga closed the remaining distance between them. Their lips locked. Kagome thought she saw fireworks but she knew she felt the sparks. Kouga's hands inched up from her back and into her hair.

Kouga was overjoyed that this moment had finally come. He was kissing his beloved and she had agreed to be his mate. Running his tongue along her bottom lip, he begged for entrance. After a moment, she understood his request and gladly granted it. Opening her mouth, Kouga's tongue snaked in to play with hers. She tasted just as he always thought she would, mostly sweet, a little sour with a touch of spice. She was the best thing he'd ever tasted.

After a moment they finally broke apart for air. Breathless, Kagome looked up at him, her eyes slightly glazed from the passion of the kiss. "Wow," she managed to whisper.

He smirked. He loved that he had that effect on her. All of a sudden, Kagome reached her hands up behind his neck and pulled his head back down to her and kissed him again. Kouga was a little surprised by her aggression, but he liked it. He kissed her back with a ferocity and passion that had been pent up in him since he first met her.

The emotions he fed her through that kiss were almost too much for her to bear and she moaned into his mouth. She pulled him closer and tried to match his intensity with energy of her own. Without realizing it, her miko powers began to flare. Ribbons of pink energy crackled in the air. When they touched Kouga though, they sparked on his skin, but it didn't hurt. They actually made him feel great. Kouga broke the kiss and made a low groan. He never felt like this before. It was like Kagome's power only fueled his passion.

"Kagome," His voice came out husky. She looked up at him, her eyes clouded in her passion. He smiled at her showing off his fangs. "Let's go tell the pack the good news. We'll finish this later."

She pouted a little but she nodded and they walked hand-in-hand out into the main den.

* * *

Kouga stood up on a large boulder and got the attention of all the wolves in the den. "Excuse me brothers and sisters! I have an announcement to make!" All eyes were on him. He looked down at Kagome and smiled. He reached down his hand to her and she took it. He heaved he up to stand beside him and hugged her to his side. "Kagome has finally agreed to be my mate!" The whole cave filled with cheers and howls. "Let the celebration begin!" He said as he threw his arms open wide.

The entire pack partied late into the night.

* * *

A/N: Another long chapter! YAY! I'm trying to make them longer. I hope you like it. I changed the rating to "M" because there will probably be a lemon next chapter!

Okay R&R please!

Later!

kaerfemina


	5. Mating Night

A/N: Okay this story has become an obsession for me. I love it so much! So I'll put my other stories on hold for now. Please enjoy the update.

**_WARNING:_** There is a lemon in this chapter. I indicated where it starts and where it ends so if you want to skip it, you can.

Thanks to Safaia Bara. She beta'd this chapter for me.

"speaking" 'thinking' _flashback/dream_

* * *

Chapter 5- Mating Night

_

* * *

_

Kagome was standing before a full-length mirror. She was brushing her long raven hair and humming happily to herself. 'Tonight is the night I mate with my beloved.' She smiled at her reflection, sighing contentedly.

_Suddenly, and without warning, her reflection changed. She no longer wore the fur clothing of a wolf demon but the traditional garb of a miko. Her eyes were cold and filled with hate. "He's mine, and you'll never have him." The reflection said. This was not Kagome's voice! Who was this woman staring at her through the glass of the mirror?_

_The woman smirked and turned away. She walked to a shadowed figure and he embraced her. When the woman turned her face up to kiss the man, the shadows hiding him from Kagome's sight lifted and she recognized him as the man from the field. "I love you, Inuyasha. Come to hell with me." The woman said in a sweet voice._

_Kagome's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. 'Inuyasha! That's his name!' As she thought this, all of her memories flooded her mind. She remembered everything. And all she felt was sorrow, pain and anger toward the man wrapped in Kikyou's embrace. Angry tears welled up in her eyes. "I hate you, Inuyasha! Go ahead! Go to hell with Kikyou! I don't care anymore!" Kikyou turned to her and smiled victoriously. Then the couple was engulfed in flames and they were gone._

_Kagome angrily smashed her fists into the mirror and it shattered. As the glass crumbled away, Kouga appeared behind it. He smiled. "I told you that mutt was no good."_

_She rushed into his arms. "I love you, Kouga." She whispered into the fur on his shoulder and she hugged him tighter._

* * *

Kagome's eyes snapped open. The cave was dark, but the glowing coals in the fireplace gave off enough light so she could see. Kouga was lying beside her, sleeping soundly. She sat up and looked around the room for a moment.

"What an odd dream," she whispered. "At least all my memories returned." She looked down at the sleeping wolf. "I still choose you, mate." With this, Kouga stirred and his eyes opened.

He looked up at her and sat up beside her. "What's wrong, koibito*?"

Kagome blushed a little at the pet name, then she smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, Kouga. I'm fine. I just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Did you have a bad dream? You seem upset."

"No, I just got my memories back…"

Kouga's eyes widened and he feared she would leave him again. "All of them?"

"Yes, and I still choose you, my mate." She smiled knowing what he was thinking.

He audibly sighed with relief and pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly. "I love you, Kagome."

"I love you too." Kagome's hands were on his bare chest. Suddenly she realized something. "Wait a minute," She pushed herself away from him slightly, enough to look him in the eyes. "I don't remember the end of the party. What happened?"

Kouga smiled. "You fell asleep in the main den and I carried you here. I know it was our mating night and everything but I couldn't bear to wake you. You looked so peaceful."

Kagome got a seductive look in her eyes. "Well, since I'm awake now…"

Kouga knew immediately what she was implying. He pulled her into a heated kiss.

**

* * *

**

XXXXXX LEMON WARNING XXXXXX

* * *

Kagome's hands traveled to his back as he kissed her passionately. She ran them up and down his back with feather-light touches, causing a growl of pleasure to erupt from Kouga's throat. He began to kiss her jaw line and down her neck. When he came to the junction of her neck and shoulder, his tongue snaked out to lick the spot he would mark her. She trembled under the hot, moist flesh and reached to remove her clothes. He stopped her and she looked up at him confused.

"Let me do it." He said in a husky tone, his eyes already becoming hazy from passion. She nodded and allowed him to remove her armored top. He gazed at the new treasures before him. Kagome blushed under his scrutiny.

"Kouga, don't stare. It's embarrassing me!" She said attempting to cover her breasts.

"But, Kagome…You're so beautiful and perfect, I can't help but stare." He said before he brought her back in for a kiss. Laying her down, he brought his hands to her chest and messaged the mounds of flesh. Kagome's breath hitched in her throat at the sensations he was causing. It felt glorious! A little moan escaped her lips as he played with her nipples causing them to stand erect. She felt moisture building between her legs as he did so. Kouga brought his face to one of her breasts and took a nipple into his mouth while teasing the other with his thumb. She gasped as he played with it with his tongue and moaned when he began to suck on it gently. With his free hand, he trailed his fingers down her side to her hip where he began to remove the fur coverings that masked her most private parts. Kagome reached her hands up to his hair and pulled its leather binding out and threw it to the side. She ran her fingers through the silky black locks and massaged his scalp with the pads of her fingers.

When Kouga managed to free her of her clothes, he began a steady stream of kisses from her chest and down her stomach. His hands trailed down her sides and she shuddered when they reached her knees and he gently pulled them apart. He kneeled between her legs and admired the loveliness laid out before him. He reached his hand out and stroked the soft black hair at the junction of her legs. She jumped at the sudden touch on her most private area, and moaned from the pleasure of it. She gasped as he probed her finding the area that gave her most pleasure almost instantly.

"Haah… oh… Kouga… ah… that… feels… ooo… amazing…" Kagome was breathless.

He bent down to her and sniffed. She smelled so sweet…he wanted to taste her. His tongue replaced his fingers and Kagome cried out. As expected, she was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted; better than the purest sugar. He flicked his tongue on the fleshy nub that he had been rubbing with his finger only a moment before. He slid a finger into her moist opening and began to wiggle it around a little as he sucked on her pleasure spot.

Kagome felt a pressure building inside of her. It was like a raging river caught behind a dam. She felt like she might explode. Kouga slid a second finger into her and started to scissor them back and forth, attempting to ready her for his entry.

When Kagome felt him slide in a third finger, she felt like she could no longer take the enormous pressure within her. "Oooo… Please… KougaaaaAAAAH!" She screamed his name as she neared climax for the first time in her life. Seconds later, she screamed again as she came, arching her back and trembling from the pleasurable force of it. After, she fell limp.

Kouga brought his face back up to hers and kissed her deeply. He removed his fur coverings without breaking contact with her. His aching member sprung free. Using his knees, he spread her legs and brought his throbbing flesh to her entrance. Extremely slowly, he pushed into her. Looking into her eyes, he said, "Let me know if it hurts." She nodded. He moved so slowly that her body had time to adjust to his intrusion before it caused her any pain. Finally, he was fully embedded inside her tight flesh and closing his eyes, he growled at how amazing it felt. Very slowly he began to start a slow rhythm of thrusts. He didn't want her first time to be painful so he moved at an incredibly slow pace. However, she felt so unbelievably wonderful; it took every ounce of willpower he had not to speed up with each thrust until she was comfortable with him inside her. After about a minute, he began to feel her moving with him, and decided that it was okay to pick up the pace now.

Kagome had no idea that sex could feel this good and Kouga had been so kind about it, she didn't feel pain once, not even when he broke through her virgin barrier. She wrapped her legs around him and pushed on his hips urging him in deeper. He began to speed up and she felt that pressure building again. Moaning with each breath she took now, she looked up at him and knew he was nearing his climax as well. He growled louder and louder with each thrust. He opened his eyes and Kagome gasped. His eyes were blood red as his demon came to the surface. Just as he exploded inside her, he brought his teeth down to her shoulder and bit down hard. She hissed at the pain but Kouga's constant thrusting caused the pleasure she was feeling to drown out the pain. Another second later, Kagome reached climax. "KOUGA!!!" She screamed.

**

* * *

**

XXXXXX LEMON COMPLETE XXXXXX

* * *

Kouga's eyes were back to normal and he was licking the wound he made in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry I had to hurt you Kagome." He whispered hugging her to him.

"It's alright, Kouga. I understand." She kissed him lightly.

He slid himself out of her and lay down beside her. Soon after, he slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Kagome cuddled into the sleeping form of her mate. Kissing him on the cheek, she said, "Goodnight, koibito*." She laid her head on his shoulder comfortably and followed him into the dream world.

* * *

A/N: Okay this one wasn't as long as some of the previous chapters but I just had to end it there. What will happen now that Kagome has all her memories back? Find out in my next chapter! I hope to have it posted before May starts!

I was just looking over my old reviews and they almost made me cry. You guys are awesome, I love you all! Please review. It makes me happy and then I write more, which makes you happy! So everyone will be happier if you just click that button!

*FYI- koibito means sweetheart or lover.

Until next time!

kaerfemina


	6. Okaasan, Where Are You?

A/N: Here's another update for you guys! I hope you like it. Sorry it took so long but I ran into some writer's block. However, my new story _The Nanny_ was born from it so not all bad came from my lack of inspiration. Please enjoy this new update.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine already! Jeez! Get off my back! lol jk

"speaking" 'thinking' _flashback/dream_

* * *

Chapter 6- Okaa-san…Where Are You?

* * *

The sun was just rising when Sango returned to Kaede's village after searching for Kagome for who knows how long. She slid off Kirara's back and trudged tiredly into the small hut. Kaede was sleeping peacefully in the corner of the hut with Shippo while Miroku was sitting waiting for her. When she entered the hut, he looked up at her guiltily.

"Houshi-sama? What's wrong?" She asked noticing the dark circles under his eyes from his lack of sleep and becoming concerned.

"Any sign of Kagome-sama?" He said, avoiding her question.

She shook her head. "No, and Kirara hasn't found any clues. I think that the blast burned away her scent because we couldn't find it anywhere. I had no idea where to start looking so I came back." Sango looked very worried. She sat down in front of him, making sure her backside was well out of his reach. "How were things here? Did Inuyasha give you any trouble?"

The guilty look in his eyes increased tenfold at the mention of his name.

Sango got nervous from the way he seemed to be avoiding eye contact. "Houshi-sama, what is it? What's wrong?"

Miroku looked up at her sheepishly from under his lashes. "It seems, my dear Sango, that Inuyasha has evaded me. I went to bring him his dinner and he was gone. He escaped our prison."

"How is that possible? He was sealed inside!"

"He dug under the wall." Miroku looked down at his crossed legs, dejected.

Sango glared at him. "How could you let this happen, Houshi-sama?! I give you one simple task of making sure our delinquent hanyou stays put so he doesn't hurt himself, and you can't even do _that_!" her hands flew into the air in frustration.

Miroku hung his head in despair. She was right. He should've kept a better eye on him. He should've known Inuyasha was up to something when he hadn't heard anything from the tiny hut he was trapped in for over an hour. "I'm sorry Sango-"

Sango quickly cut him off. "I don't want to hear it, Houshi." She dropped the honorific in her anger and he mentally cringed at that. She only dropped it when she was really pissed. "Do you have any idea how upset Kagome-chan will be- when we find her- if something happens to him? We have to find him! I'll have Kirara follow his scent. Come on, let's go." She stood and went for the door; all her fatigue had melted away in her earnest to find the hanyou.

They left the hut together but when Sango looked up, she saw Inuyasha in the distance walking toward them.

Inuyasha was grumbling about how Kikyo was never around when you wanted her. He would've kept looking, but he was beginning to feel the blood he was loosing from his wounds and he just wanted some sleep.

Sango ran up to him. "Inuyasha! We were so worried! Look at you, you're a mess!" She stepped behind him and began pushing him for Kaede's hut. "Let's go get you cleaned up and your wounds redressed."

"Keh, like _I_ need _your_ help." He complained. But Inuyasha was too tired to resist her so he just went with her into the hut.

* * *

The cave was bright and Kagome could see the light through her eyelids as her mind woke up. But she didn't want to open her eyes, she was much too comfortable. She was wrapped around Kouga and he felt gloriously warm compared to the chilly air. She snuggled closer to her source of heat, hitched the blanket up over her exposed, bare shoulder and sighed contently. This caused Kouga to chuckle and his whole body quivered from it.

Kagome finally opened her eyes and looked up into the beautiful blue eyes of her mate. "G'morning Kouga." She said, her voice still thick from sleep. She stretched to give him a kiss. He leaned his head toward her so she didn't have to reach so far.

After they broke the kiss, Kouga shook his head. He smirked and said, "Good _afternoon_, Kagome."

Her mouth dropped open. "_Afternoon?_ I slept that long?"

He nodded, running his fingers through her sleep-mussed hair. "I sucked a lot of energy out of you last night…" He smirked when Kagome's cheeks flamed red.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Wait a minute. If it is afternoon already, then why are you still here?" Kouga looked hurt. He misunderstood the meaning of the question. Kagome immediately revised it. "Not that I don't want you here, I love this." She squeezed him tight and Kouga's wounded expression faded. "But don't you have duties to your pack? What are you still doing here?"

Kouga flashed his cocky smirk at her. He liked that she cared so much for his pack. She'll make a wonderful Alpha Female. "I put Ginta and Hakkaku in charge for a few days. I told them to only disturb me if a disaster strikes. I want to spend all of my time with my new mate."

Her mahogany eyes warmed as she smiled at him almost shyly. "I want to spend all of my _forever _with you." She whispered, her cheeks flushing again prettily.

When he heard this, his heart swelled with joy. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight against his chest. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in the luscious aroma that was his mate. "Forever…" he started, his voice muffled by her raven tresses. "That sounds perfect."

Kagome smiled gently into his chest. She turned her face up to look at him and said, "I love you, koibito."

"I love you, too." He said bringing her face to his for another kiss.

* * *

Inuyasha hardly got into the hut before passing out from exhaustion. Kaede carefully assessed his wounds and found that he had lost a lot of blood. So much that, even for a hanyou, if he lost much more his life would be in danger. Kaede quickly got to work cleaning him up and wrapping him with bandages. When she was finished, he looked a lot like a mummy. Miroku moved him to a bedroll in the corner of the room to sleep more comfortably.

All of them knew he escaped the prison to look for Kagome, so where was she? He certainly wouldn't give up on his search if he didn't find her, why did he come back without her? They all wondered these things as they silently watched the hanyou sleep.

Shippo, being the innocent little boy he was, broke the silence and asked the question weighing on everyone's mind. "Where is Kagome? Didn't Inuyasha find her?"

"I don't know Shippo. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to ask him." Sango replied softly.

"But he wouldn't give up on finding her, why did he come back?"

She shook her head and shrugged slightly. She couldn't fathom why he would abandon his search and come back if he couldn't find her. It was so unlike him.

Miroku put his hand on the kit's little shoulder. "We know no more then you do. Only Inuyasha can answer your questions. Be patient my friend. We _all_ are worried about Kagome-sama's wellbeing."

Tears welled up in his bright green eyes as he looked over at the sleeping hanyou. Ever since he became an orphan, Kagome had become like a mother to him and he loved her just as much as if she really was. He was terribly worried about her. He didn't want to loose the last mother he had. "Okaa-san…where are you?" He breathed in a whisper so soft that no one in the room heard him.

* * *

Kouga and Kagome were just starting to enjoy their "alone time" when an image popped in Kagome's head. An adorable angel face filled her mind's eye. The child had burgundy colored hair pulled into a ponytail on the back of his little head and his electric green eyes shimmered with unshed tears. With a gasp, Kagome immediately pulled away from Kouga's passionate kiss, tore herself out of his arms and sat up, wide-eyed. Shippo. She instantly felt guilty. How could she forget about Shippo? He needed her. As she thought this, his little voice whispered in her head, _"Okaa-san…where are you?"_ Hearing this, she burst into tears.

Kouga was dumbfounded. First, she ripped herself away from him when things were just getting good- and he knew she was enjoying it as much as he was from her scent. And now, she was crying! He didn't know what to make of it. Had he hurt her? He got worried in an instant. Sitting up beside her, he exclaimed, "Kagome, what is it? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

She was bawling so hard she couldn't answer. So she shook her head.

He pulled her into his arms and squeezed her to his chest. He began rocking her and stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "What is it Kagome? What's wrong?"

Forcing herself to calm down enough to talk, she replied, "He- needs me- my Ship- po-"

Confused now, he pulled her away to look down at her. "Shippo? That fox kit that always followed you around?"

Kagome nodded swallowing the rest of her sobs. "Yes. I've taken care of him, you see. He is like a son to me. I can't just leave him alone. He needs me."

* * *

A/N: I'm so evil to leave it there, aren't I? (insert evil laugh here) lol I hope you liked this update. I know it's not that long, but I wanted to stop there to leave you in suspense! :D I know, I'm horrible! Oh well this is my story so deal with it! At least I updated!

Leave me reviews people! I really appreciate people faving and alerting my stories, but I want feedback! So hit that button and tell me what you think!

Until next time!

kaerfemina


	7. Reunion

A/N: I know you're all dying to know what happens next so here's the next chapter. I'm very sorry it took me so long to get it up. I really have no good excuse. I've just been really busy. Plus my hubby's been hogging the computer for days! He got a new computer game and hasn't given me any time on it. *sigh* Oh well. Please enjoy!  
DISCLAIMER: Why is this so necessary? I'm sure you all know by now but I do not own Inuyasha. Whatever.  
"speaking" 'thinking' flashback/dream

* * *

LAST TIME:  
He pulled her into his arms and squeezed her to his chest. He began rocking her and stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "What is it Kagome? What's wrong?"  
Forcing herself to calm down enough to talk, she replied, "He- needs me- my Ship- po-"  
Confused now, he pulled her away to look down at her. "Shippo? That fox kit that always followed you around?"  
Kagome nodded swallowing the rest of her sobs. "Yes. I've taken care of him, you see. He is like a son to me. I can't just leave him alone. He needs me."

* * *

Chapter 7- Reunion

* * *

Kouga stared at her for a long moment. He watched the tears streak down her face. Her pain and anguish broke his heart. He didn't want to see her upset.

"Alright, let's go get him." He smiled down at her.

Kagome didn't expect that. Actually she hadn't known what to expect. But Kouga still surprised her. "You mean it? We can go get him?"

"Of course, Kagome, if he means that much to you. I just want you to be happy. If that boy is like a son to you, I'll accept him as my son as well."

Fresh tears spilled out of Kagome's eyes. "Oh, Kouga!" She cried as she slammed into his chest and gave him her best bear hug. "I love you more now than ever before! You're just perfect!"

He kissed the top of her head then pulled away from her. "Let's get dressed, and then we'll leave, okay?"

Kagome nodded, climbed out of the bed and began picking up her clothes from where Kouga threw them last night. Kouga followed suit.  


* * *

Inuyasha had been sleeping for quite awhile and Sango was getting impatient.

"When is he going to wake up? I want to know what happened. Where is Kagome-chan?" Sango ranted pacing around inside the little hut. Shippo's wide eyes watched the angry woman as she moved around the room. _Sango is scary when she's mad!_ He thought.

"Calm down Sango. He lost a lot of blood. He needs to recover. Give him time." Miroku said looking up at her from his meditation.

Kaede was stirring some stew in a pot over the fire. "Miroku is right, Sango. It will be awhile. Be patient."

"I can't be patient. I want to know what's going on! Kagome-chan is my best friend. She is like a sister to me! She is the only family I have left besides Kohaku! I can't just leave it alone." She continued to rant and rave, but stopped short when the hanyou stirred.

"Shut up, woman. Let me sleep." He said glaring at her.

"Inuyasha! Finally! You're awake!"

"No thanks to you! Your constant screaming made it impossible for me to sleep."

"Forget that, Inuyasha. Where's Kagome-chan?" Sango sat herself beside his bedroll looking earnestly into his groggy, golden eyes. Shippo climbed into her lap and stared him down as well.

Inuyasha looked away from them. "Who cares about that wench? She forgot all about us! She doesn't care about us, not really!"

Sango stared wide-eyed at him. So Inuyasha did find Kagome but what happened between them when he did? "I can't believe that, Inuyasha. Kagome-chan is a kind-hearted person. She cares for all of us." Shippo nodded enthusiastically.

"No she doesn't, she forgot everything!" Inuyasha sat up and winced from the pain of his newly healing wounds.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"She forgot us and that bastard is taking advantage of it!"

"Inuyasha, we're not following you. Calm down and explain to us what happened when you found Kagome-sama." Miroku said, taking control of the chaotic situation.

"Screw that! I'm too pissed to talk! I'm outta here!" With that, Inuyasha ran out the door leaving the group even more confused than before.  


* * *

Kouga had been running for a while. Kagome was comfortable being carried in his arms, excited to see her friends again.

"How much farther until we get to the village, Kagome?" Kouga asked. He'd never been to the village that Inuyasha's group considered home base. Kouga was kind of curious about it and this "Kaede" woman that Kagome always raves about.

Kagome glanced around instantly recognizing it as the area near Kaede's village. "Not too much farther now Kouga. A few more miles maybe."  


* * *

Shippo was sitting at the door waiting for Inuyasha to return so that he could get his questions answered when a familiar scent wafted to his nose. Jumping to his feet, he mutters, "Crap!" And rushes out of the hut.

Sango and Miroku share a confused look. Miroku shrugs it off and follows the kit outside. Sango, still confused, picks up a dozing Kirara and trails after her companions.

The two males were standing not too far away, so she approached them. "What's going on?" She whispered to Miroku. He nodded toward the horizon and she turned to look. A couple of miles away, a small cyclone could be seen. "Kouga? What's he doing here?"

Shippo crosses his arms over his chest. "To complicate things. Kagome's not here and Inuyasha is already upset enough as it is. We don't need this right now." Suddenly another gust of wind smacked into Shippo's face. It carried another scent along with Kouga's scent that the kit hadn't noticed before. His eyes grew wide. "OH!" A huge smile broke out across his face as he started to bounce up and down on his toes excitedly.

"Shippo? What is it?" Sango asked.

He turned his brightly shining eyes up at her. "Kagome is with him!"  


* * *

Kagome looked up and saw the village off in the distance. "Look, Kouga! There it is! We're almost there!" Her eyes were sparkling and she was practically trembling in his arms from excitement.

Kouga was so glad that Kagome was happy now. "Yes, koibito. We'll be there in a few minutes."

She smiled up at him. "Would you put me down right outside the village? I'd like to walk in under my own power."

"Sure. Whatever you want, Love." The wind blew into his face. "Ugh. This place reeks of dog."

She smacks him lightly on the arm. "Be nice, Kouga. Inuyasha is still one of my friends."

"Fine, okay." He grumbled.

Seconds later, they reached the outskirts of the village and Kouga screeched to a halt. He put his precious cargo down and took her hand. "Let's go." He smiled down at her.

Kagome led him into the village heading toward Kaede's hut. Suddenly a small blur leaped at Kagome. Kouga snatched it out of the air before it could reach her.

"Shippo!" Kagome cried when the blur turned into the kit. She reached out and plucked him from her mate's grasp and hugged him tight. "I missed you!"

"Oh Kagome! I missed you too! Are you alright? We were all so worried!" The boy was on the verge of tears.

"Of course I'm alright, Shippo."

"Kagome-chan!" Kagome looked up to see Sango running towards her.

"Sango-chan!" She sprinted toward the older girl that she considered a sister. When they reached each other, they embraced tightly, accidently squishing poor Shippo in between them.

"I can't breathe!" The boy cried.

"Oops! Sorry, Shippo." The two girls chorused and stepped back from each other.

"It is good to see you unharmed, Kagome-sama." Kagome turned as Miroku walked up to them.

"Thank you, Miroku."

"Kagome-chan, where have you been? We've been so worried!"

Kagome looked at Sango. "Isn't it obvious?" She said, indicating her clothes and Kouga who was standing behind her. "I've been with Kouga. He nursed me back to health after I fell off the cliff."

"You fell off a _CLIFF_?!" Sango's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head.

This is when Kouga decided to speak. "Yes. I saw her fall. She was fine except for the bump on her head." He reassured them. "Nothing to worry about."

Shippo looked up at her confused. "But Kagome, you've been gone for almost a week. If you only had a bump on your head what took you so long to come home?"

Kagome wasn't sure what to tell them. Would telling them that she forgot all about them hurt their feelings? She shared a meaningful look with Kouga before deciding to just tell the truth. "Well the bump on my head wasn't all that I got from the fall. It caused amnesia. Kouga helped me through it."

"Amnesia? So that's what Inuyasha was talking about when he said you forgot all about us." Sango said nodding to herself.

"I guess so. Hey, speaking of Inuyasha…" Kagome said as she surveyed the surrounding area. "…Where is he?"

"He woke up and started babbling about you not caring and that you forgot us. We didn't understand and when we asked him to explain himself he just took off. He hasn't come back yet." Sango explained.

"I see." Kagome looked down at her feet. She felt bad that she made Inuyasha feel like she didn't care about her friends. She remembered when he showed up at the den, it wasn't pretty. She suddenly recalled his condition that day. She turned frightened eyes up at her friends. "Inuyasha was hurt when I saw him! Is he okay?"

Miroku placed his hand on her shoulder causing Kouga to eye him carefully and growl under his breath. He knew the man was a pervert. Miroku ignored him and smiled reassuringly at her. "He'll be just fine, Kagome-sama. He just has to allow his wounds to heal."

"Wounds? How did he get hurt?"

"The explosion at that last fight caused a lot of damage on Inuyasha since he was so close to it."

"That's horrible! We should go find him!" Kagome's eyes shone with worry.

"Don't you worry, koibito, I'll find the stupid mutt." Kouga may have hated the hanyou but he was still Kagome's friend and he promised to be nicer.  


* * *

Inuyasha was sulking in a tree far away from the village when out of nowhere, a soul collector flew by off in the distance. _Kikyo! I found her. Finally!_ He thought as he raced after it. After a minute or so he came to a small open field. Kikyo was standing a little ways ahead of him with her back turned. The soul collector that he had followed deposited its load and flew off.

Kikyo opened her eyes. "Inuyasha, why are you here?" She turned to look at him.

Inuyasha took a hesitant step towards her. "I wanted to talk to you, Kikyo."

Her eyes narrowed warily. "About what?"

"I need your help." He started.

"My help? With what?"

"You can sense the jewel. I need help collecting the shards."

"But you have Kagome for that."

"Not anymore. She forgot everything and she's with Kouga now." His voice was bitter.

Kikyo stared at him for a moment. It is true she still loved him and she now knew that Naraku was the true cause of her death so she no longer held that hate for him. She needed to think. "Inuyasha, I will think on your request. Meet me here in two days and I will give you my answer."

"Thank you, Kikyo." With that he turned and disappeared into the forest.

He ran for quite a while, intending on returning to Kaede's hut to sleep when a disgusting odor reached his sensitive nose. Growling, he muttered to himself, "What is Kouga doing here?!"  


* * *

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed that! Please review! Okay

ttfn!

kaerfemina


	8. Someone Still has a Secret!

A/N: Oh my Gosh! It's been much too long since I updated! I have no excuse for my behavior. I gave up trying to resurrect my laptop and bought a new one, but that was like a year ago and I have yet to update a thing! Bad me! Oh well, if anyone is still following this story after it being so long on hiatus, here you go! This is for you!

Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: My name is not Rumiko Takahashi. Therefore, I do not own Inuyasha.

"speaking" 'thinking' _flashback/dream_

* * *

LAST TIME:

Miroku placed his hand on her shoulder causing Kouga to eye him carefully and growl under his breath. He knew the man was a pervert. Miroku ignored him and smiled reassuringly at her. "He'll be just fine, Kagome-sama. He just has to allow his wounds to heal."

"Wounds? How did he get hurt?"

"The explosion at that last fight caused a lot of damage on Inuyasha since he was so close to it."

"That's horrible! We should go find him!" Kagome's eyes shone with worry.

"Don't you worry, koibito, I'll find the stupid mutt." Kouga may have hated the hanyou but he was still Kagome's friend and he promised to be nicer.

.,.,.,

Inuyasha ran for quite a while, intending on returning to Kaede's hut to sleep when a disgusting odor reached his sensitive nose. Growling, he muttered to himself, "What is Kouga doing here?"

* * *

Chapter 8 – Someone Still Has a Secret!

* * *

Kagome watched Kouga until he disappeared into the trees before she turned back to her friends. They all had the most peculiar expressions on their faces.

"What?" she asked them.

Sango placed her hand on her friend's fur-covered shoulder. "What's going on between you and Kouga?"

Kagome's eyes widened a fraction. Was it that obvious? "What makes you think there's anything going on?"

"He called you 'koibito' just now."

"So? Kouga has always called me by pet names."

"Yes that's true, but he's always used harmless pet names like 'love.' 'Koibito' is much more personal and _intimate_."

Shippo turned in her arms and sniffed her. "Yeah, now that you mention it, you smell different. You still smell like _you_ but Kouga's scent's there too."

"Well of course I smell like Kouga. He carried me here. I smell like Inuyasha too when he gives me a piggyback."

The little kit shook his head. "No. The scent isn't _on top_ of your skin, it's _inside_ it."

Miroku took a step forward, scratching his chin thoughtfully, a twinkle in his eyes. "What do you mean, Shippo?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. It's just what she smells like. I have no idea why." His innocent little boy eyes looked up at his mother figure imploringly.

"I think I have an idea…" Miroku stated as one of his perverted smiles slowly spread across his face.

Kagome sighed. She couldn't very well hide it from them. Not that she wanted to, but she had hoped to be able to tell them in her own way. But, it seemed it was too late for that now. Her friends were just too observant.

So she pulled her hair back away from her neck and exposed the four small puncture marks that Kouga's fangs had left. The small youki-filled scar stood out on her smooth skin.

Sango stepped forward and grazed her fingers over the puckered skin. Her eyes widened as she gasped, "Kagome! Is that…?"

"Yes. Kouga and I are mated. This is his mating mark."

* * *

Kouga skidded to a stop in an area of densely packed trees. He knew the mutt was here, he could smell his stench. He looked around warily. Where was he? "I know you're there, dog-turd! Quit hiding!"

"I'm not hiding!" Inuyasha roared as he dropped from a tree, aiming a kick for Kouga's head.

Kouga narrowly missed getting a foot to the temple by rolling off to the side. When he stood back up, Inuyasha came at him again with his claws. The wolf gripped his wrists and using his momentum, flung the hanyou behind him. "I didn't come to fight you, you idiot!"

Inuyasha stood from where he was thrown to the ground. Turning to Kouga, his chest heaving in fury, he replied, "Then why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kouga shrugged nonchalantly. "Kagome is worried about you. Come back to the village."

"You lie! Kagome doesn't even remember me! How could she be worried?"

Kouga sighed exasperatedly. "I'm telling you, Kagome's memories are back and she's upset. She wants to make sure you're all right. Come on let's go." With that, he turned his back on the furious hanyou and headed back towards the village.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you flea-bitten wolf!"

"Fine then. Don't trust me. Stay out here and sulk. I'll just let Kagome know you're fine but don't want to see her. That'll make her happy." Kouga's words were thick with sarcasm. He continued to walk back to the village.

Inuyasha considered this a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. "Keh!" He grunted before sprinting past the ookami. Kouga ran to keep up. "I'm not going with you, we just happen to be going in the same direction."

Kouga rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, mutt-face."

* * *

"What…? How…? When…?" the group was inside Kaede's hut and Sango didn't know what question to voice first.

Kagome smiled at her. "I'm not really sure. It just sort of happened." She answered, clearly knowing what she was trying to ask.

"But, how? And what about Inuyasha?"

"Oh, I'm so over Inu-baka. He could never love me like Kouga does. I still care about him and I'll probably always love him but not in the same way as before."

"Kagome-sama, what happened this past week that caused this change of heart?" Miroku asked.

"I don't think it all happened just this past week. Yes, the amnesia helped but my feelings toward Inuyasha were already changing before that. I think I was clinging to the _idea_ of loving Inuyasha. I wasn't actually in love with him anymore. Kouga is kind, gentle, sweet, loyal…pretty much everything Inuyasha is not. I can trust him."

"So you love him?" Shippo asked.

She nodded, smiling softly. "Yes. Very much, or else I wouldn't have agreed to be his mate."

"Does that mean you're going to go live in the den now?" His voice held a tremor of fear, as if he didn't want it to be true. Sango & Miroku shared a worried look. They didn't really want to loose their friend either.

"Yes, since that is where Kouga lives, I will live there too."

Shippo's eyes welled with tears as he threw his arms around her neck. "No! Don't leave me, Okaa-san!" He sobbed.

Kagome rubbed his back as he cried on her shoulder. "Shippo, don't cry. I'm not leaving you."

"Yes you are! You're the last mother I have and you're leaving!"

"No, Shippo. You're coming with me."

The kitsune's weeping immediately ceased and he pulled back to look up at her in surprise. "What?"

She smiled down at the kit, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Would you like to come live with Kouga and me in the wolf den?"

The surprise had yet to leave the boy's face, but she could see the hope there too. "Really? You mean it?"

"Of course, Shippo. I love you like my own son. I wouldn't dream of leaving you behind."

"YES! I wanna live with you! Yes, yes!" He was hopping up and down in his excitement.

"Good. Then go pack your stuff. As soon as Kouga gets back with Inuyasha, we're leaving."

"What? But you just got here!" Sango exclaimed.

"I know but we only came to pick up Shippo."

"At least stay the night, child. We have been so worried about you." Kaede finally spoke up, offering her young apprentice some tea.

Kagome accepted the hot beverage and sipped it appreciatively. She watched as Shippo dashed around the hut collecting his things. "I suppose we could stay for a while. Kouga left Ginta and Hakkaku in charge for a few days so we don't have to be back _immediately_. I _would_ like to see my family while I'm here too. It's been far too long since I've been home…" she trailed off as her outward thinking turned inward. 'What will Mama think of my mating? Or Jii-chan?' As soon as she thought this, she began fretting about what her family would say.

Jii-chan was appalled to find out that her best friend was part youkai, but he dealt with it because he was also part human and that was tolerable. But if he found out about Kouga, he would blow a gasket. She wasn't looking forward to that. However, she had no idea how her mother would react. She was always so accepting of everything that happened in her life. Her mom's attitude was like duck feathers, everything just rolled off. Nothing fazed her. But, Kagome was still only 16 years old. That might cause some concern from Mrs. Higurashi. She was pretty young to be "married" (as her mother would see it). Kagome sighed and sipped some more of her tea, trying to calm her nerves.

Just then the group heard Inuyasha shout from outside, "HA! I beat you, you mangy wolf! I win!"

Kouga didn't even respond. He sighed deeply as he ignored the immature hanyou and entered the hut he smelled Kagome in. "We weren't even racing, the idiot." He muttered under his breath as he crossed to sit beside Kagome.

Inuyasha burst into the hut. "Oi, Kouga! You listening to m-" but his voice cut out when he saw who Kouga sat beside.

Kagome looked up at him, irritation evident on her face. "Shut up, Inuyasha. Do you have to make everything a contest? Now sit down so I can get a look at you."

Inuyasha stared for a moment, relieved at the recognition on his best friend's face. As her words sunk in however, his stubborn nature resurfaced and he crossed his arms. "Keh, I'm fine. I don't need you fawning over me."

"_OSUWARI_!" the rosary beads dragged a reluctant hanyou to the floor of the hut with a smash. "I've been worried about you, baka! I want to see with my own eyes that you're all right." She continued to speak as she crossed to his prone form and knelt beside him.

"Damn you, wench." He mumbled into the floor.

"Don't you call Kagome a wench, dog-turd!"

"Shh, quiet Kouga, it's fine. I'm used to it." She attempted to placate him as she began to inspect her friend's wounds. "Tsk, tsk, Inuyasha. You've bled right through these bandages. I'm going to have to rewrap them."

"You shouldn't _have_ to be used to it, Kagome! He shouldn't speak to you that way in the first place!" He tried to ignore how tenderly she was touching the other man.

Kagome just shrugged. "He's not going to change. Just like you'll probably never stop calling him dog-turd or mutt-face. I've just accepted that. It doesn't bother me anymore."

"You finished with your damn medical exam?" Inuyasha asked grumpily as she finished rewrapping his bandages.

She smiled up at him pleasantly. "Yup!"

His heart thumped uncomfortably at her happy expression but at that moment something finally registered in his brain. She smelled different. He leaned forward a bit and sniffed to verify it. "You smell funny."

"Excuse me?" The smile was replaced with a scowl.

"Not bad, just different. You look the same as when I saw you at the den, but you don't smell the same." Inuyasha happened to glance over at Kouga and found he was smirking widely. "What's going on?"

Kagome was worried about how he would react to the news of their mating so she hesitated and before she could answer him, Kouga did it for her. "A lot happened since you were at the den last, dog-turd." Kouga's cocky smirk widened even further and a fang peeked over his bottom lip. The expression was so cute, Kagome wanted to kiss him so badly right now.

Inuyasha was confused, what could have possibly happened in two days that would change Kagome's scent? He looked over at her and saw she wore an uncomfortable, worried expression. "Kagome? What happened?"

"Um," Kagome floundered around in her head trying to figure out how to tell him this and not have him blow up on them. "Alright, don't freak out, okay?"

The hanyou's confused expression melted away into a scowl. "Why would I 'freak out?'"

"Well, I don't think you're going to like what I'm about to say, and I don't want you going into a rage."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, she had no confidence in him. "Just tell me, wench. I won't 'freak out.'"

"Okay, you better not." She warned. Crossing over to where Kouga stood, she brushed her hair back off her shoulders, cleared her throat and turned to look back at Inuyasha. "Kouga and I are mated now."

Inuyasha's eyes zeroed in on the scar on her neck. Physical evidence that what she said was true. He looked at Kouga then and saw that his smirk was now a happy, satisfied grin. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a dream. A very bad dream. A nightmare. "No." he growled.

"I assure you, mutt-face, that we are mated. Just because you don't want it to be true doesn't make it any less of a reality." Kouga pulled Kagome to his side. And for the first time, Inuyasha saw that she didn't shy away from his touch. She actually leaned into him.

He instantly saw red. "Get away from her, you bastard!"

He made to tear her out of his embrace, but before he reached her, she screamed, "OSUWARI!" Next thing he knew, he had a face full of tatami mat. "You said you wouldn't freak out, Inuyasha! There's nothing you can do about it, its already done! Kouga and I are mated. Accept it!" she took a deep breath and continued at a much more reasonable volume. "Its not like we were together. You never loved me. You don't have any right to act like this." Inuyasha mumbled something into the floor but she couldn't hear it. "What was that?"

"I said, that's not true." he looked up at her.

"What's not true?"

"I do love you, Kagome."

Kagome's eyes narrowed at this confession. "You're lying."

"I'm not."

Kouga growled, grabbed him and got in his face. "How could you say that to her? You don't really love her, or you wouldn't go to Kikyo at every available moment! You have no right to say that to her!"

Inuyasha had the good sense to look ashamed. Kouga then dropped him and he slumped to his knees. Kagome knelt before him and looked him in the eyes. "Now listen Inuyasha, I still care about you. You're like a lovable older brother and my best friend. It's not like I'm abandoning you and leaving forever. We'll still be friends and I'll always be there for you. Okay?" She smiled sweetly at him and it broke his heart.

He nodded. He supposed he could live with them being mated as long as they could still be friends. She was the first person ever to except him just as he is. He was just a person to her. Not a filthy half-breed or a dangerous monster. Just Inuyasha. She meant more to him then she would ever know. It would kill him to lose her.

When she saw that he seemed to have calmed down, she stood up and looked at Kouga. "I'm going to have to go home and let them know the news. Would you stay here and watch Shippo?"

Kouga looked conflicted. He liked the idea of having some bonding time with his new adopted son but he also wanted to be with Kagome. Sango noticed his dilemma and came to his rescue. "I can watch him." Kouga turned a relieved and thankful look at her.

Kagome on the other hand, glared at her friend. She had intended on father/son bonding time while she was away, but also she was worried if he came with her, he'd want to come through the well with her. But the only people she knew of who can cross the bridge of time were herself and Inuyasha. If he couldn't pass through, she knew he'd be very disappointed and she didn't want to let him down.

Sango just shrugged and began to help Shippo pack up his things.

"I'd like to meet your family, Kagome."

"Keh, impossible." Inuyasha scoffed as he stood.

Kouga rounded on him angrily. "What are you talking about, mutt-face?"

"You don't even know where Kagome's from, do you?" Inuyasha smirked.

Kouga growled and made an aggressive advance on the hanyou. Kagome placed a restraining hand on her mate's arm and addressed her friend. "The subject just never came up before, Inuyasha. I'm going to tell him about it now."

Kouga looked down at her, confused. "Tell me what?"

Kagome looked up at him apprehensively. "I'm from the future, Kouga."

* * *

A/N: Okay I ended it on another cliffy. You all hate me now right? Sorry but I just had to. I'll try to be more consistent on my updates from now on. Hopefully by next month I'll have another chapter up. Well, until next time!

Ja-ne!

kaerfemina


	9. Telling the Family

A/N: Finally! A new chapter! Can you believe it? No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Its really true! Sorry for the long wait but I've been dealing with some stuff in my life and I've moved on to new fandoms. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE Inuyasha, I'm just not gungho for it anymore. Don't worry, I'm not giving this story up, not ever. I will see it to the end. Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha is not mine.

* * *

LAST TIME:

"I'd like to meet your family, Kagome."

"Keh, impossible." Inuyasha scoffed as he stood.

Kouga rounded on him angrily. "What are you talking about, mutt-face?"

"You don't even know where Kagome's from, do you?" Inuyasha smirked.

Kouga growled and made an aggressive advance on the hanyou. Kagome placed a restraining hand on her mate's arm and addressed her friend. "The subject just never came up before, Inuyasha. I'm going to tell him about it now."

Kouga looked down at her, confused. "Tell me what?"

Kagome looked up at him apprehensively. "I'm from the future, Kouga."

* * *

Kouga blinked as the words sank in. He stared at Kagome for a long moment before he said, "The future? You're from the future?"

Kagome nodded, her scent saturated with anxiety. She was worried about how he would react to the news. To her surprise, he just nodded and smiled down at her.

"I guess it makes sense. You're unlike any other female I've met, youkai & human alike. And those differences are what attracted me to you in the first place." He brought his hand up and ran his thumb across her cheek.

Relief swept over her and she smiled back at him. "You're not upset?"

"Why would I be upset?"

"Well, I've basically been lying to you since we first met."

Kouga shook his head. "Not lying, withholding a truth. You were just protecting a secret that you thought needed to be protected."

"But aren't you mad that I didn't trust you with it?"

"Not mad, a little sad, yes, but not mad. You told me about it now. And that's all that really matters."

Kagome flung herself into his arms. She was so glad that he was so accepting. She loved him so much.

Inuyasha was practically gagging at the scene before him. He just couldn't stand to watch it.

Kagome shot him a death glare. "Oh, grow up, Inuyasha."

"Never mind the mutt, koibito. Let's go meet your family."

"I told you that was impossible, idiot." Inuyasha said.

Kouga growled at him. "What are you talking about?"

Inuyasha smirked. "You won't be able to go to the future. Only me and Kagome are able to."

"Please, if you can, I can too." He glanced down at his little mate for confirmation but was startled by her expression. She seemed upset. "What's wrong, koibito?"

"I don't know, Kouga. You may not be able to pass through to my time. Shippo has tried and couldn't and he's closer to me than almost anyone. Plus my little brother tried coming here and wasn't able to either. My own blood wasn't able to cross through. I don't want to get your hopes up."

Kouga shrugged. "Well we won't know if we don't try, right? Let's go." With that, he pulled her out of the hut. "Where to?"

"This way." And she walked in the direction of the well.

They walked in silence for a while but then Kouga asked, "What's it like?"

"What?"

"The future."

"Oh. Um, it's much different than here. Humans have thrived and there are billions living all over the world. There are very few youkai. It's incredibly rare to see one. I don't really know what happened to all of them. Maybe they're in hiding?" She shrugged. "There are large cities with big buildings that seem to touch the sky and metal machines for transportation. The air has been polluted. Inuyasha is always complaining how it smells so bad. It'll probably be worse for you since you have a stronger sense of smell than him, being full youkai." She continued to talk about her world and Kouga listened intently. He had such a hard time keeping up. The future was so different from what he knew; he had a hard time wrapping his mind around it.

After a short while, they emerged from the trees into a small clearing and there in the middle sat the well. Kagome walked over to it and stopped, turning back to look at him. "This is it."

He walked to her side and looked down into the well. "This is what?"

"The portal to the future. It's at the bottom of this well. I jump in and it takes me home."

"Okay." He jumped up on the lip and held his hand out for Kagome to join him. She gripped it and he helped her up beside him. "After you, koibito."

Kagome swallowed hard looking up into his otherworldly blue eyes. "Please don't be upset if it doesn't work for you. If it was my choice you'd be able to, but it's not up to me."

Kouga smiled down at her softly. "Don't worry, my love. If I can't make it through, I'll wait right here until you return." He gripped her chin and brought his face down and kissed her soundly.

"I love you, Kouga."

"I love you too. See you in a bit."

She nodded and then dropped into the darkness of the well. The blue light shined and then she was gone. Kouga took a deep breath and followed after her, not knowing what to expect.

* * *

Kagome landed lightly on the floor of the well, her nostrils filled with the smell of mildew and dust and knew she was back in her own time. She stood by the ladder and waited a few moments hoping beyond hope that Kouga would materialize beside her. Suddenly, the mating mark scar on her neck grew hot to the point that it was excruciatingly painful. She cried out and fell to her knees, griping her shoulder tightly. And then, as soon as it started, it stopped. And Kouga was suddenly there, kneeling beside her.

"Kagome, what is it? What's wrong?" His voice was frantic.

She panted, her body shaking as it recovered from the shock of the pain even though it was gone now. She looked up at his concern-filled eyes and spoke, "I'm fine now. But just a second ago, my mark burned so hot. It hurt so much."

Kouga whined and brought her close. He nuzzled the mark on her neck and whined again. This was his fault. If he hadn't marked her, she wouldn't have been in pain at all. "I'm sorry, koibito," he whispered.

She heard the guilt in his voice. She shoved her way out of his arms and glared at him. "No. No, Kouga. Do not make this your fault. I don't know why it happened but it wasn't because of you. I don't ever want to see you regret this mark. It ties us together. Declares us as mates. I do not regret it so you won't either. Understand?" He nodded solemnly but the guilt hadn't completely receded from his expression. "Look at the bright side, you made it to my time." She smiled brightly. "Come on, come meet my family." And she began to climb the ladder out of the well, but Kouga grabbed her off of it and held her bridal style. She squeaked in surprise just a second before he leaped up and out onto the dirt surrounding the well. "Well, that's a much quicker way to get out of the well." He smirked at her reaction and placed her back on her feet. She climbed the steps to the well house door and Kouga followed silently.

She turned to him as she opened the door. "Welcome to the future, Kouga!"

As soon as the door opened though, a most ghastly stench hit him in the face. It smelt like something burning, but what that something was, he couldn't even begin to describe it. It clung to the inside of his nose and he could taste it on the back of his tongue. "Ungh!" He gagged and smacked his hand over his nose and mouth, trying to ward off the horrible smell.

Kagome looked at him sympathetically. "Yeah, sorry about the stink. I did try to warn you about the pollution."

"No amount of warning could've prepared me for this! I nearly passed out it was so bad!"

She frowned and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry I can't make it better for you. I can only hope you adjust to it. Let's go inside, it's not so bad in the house."

She was wrong about her not being able to make it better. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed in her scent and felt better instantly. It was like a balm for his agitated nose. He sighed in relief and breathed her in again but held it this time as he stepped away from her. He nodded and followed her across the shrine grounds to the house.

"Mama, I'm home!" She called as she opened the door. Kouga hurried in after her and as soon as the door shut behind him, he let out the breath he was holding and took an experimental sniff. The smell was still there but very light. The strongest smell here was the scent of human, followed by food and cleaning products. The chemical smell tickled his nose but it wasn't strong enough to bother him. Yes, this was much better.

A woman in her mid-thirties walked out to them approaching from the direction the food smell was coming from. "Welcome home, Kagome. Who's your friend?" She asked smiling at Kouga pleasantly.

Kagome stepped up beside Kouga. "Mama, this is Kouga. I've told you about him before, right?"

Recognition flickered in the woman's eyes. "The wolf youkai?"

Kagome nodded. Kouga felt his chest swell a little at the thought of Kagome telling her mother about him. He felt important if she spoke about him to her family.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and continued teasingly, "The wolf youkai who claims to be in love with you?"

Kagome's cheeks warmed and Kouga chuckled. "Yes," he replied. "But it's not a claim, it's the truth."

The older woman's eyebrows lifted at his statement. "Really?"

He nodded. "I love your daughter very much." There was such honest emotion in his words that she had no choice but to believe him.

The atmosphere had become slightly uncomfortable with Kouga's emotionally charged words. So clearing her throat, Kagome's mother said brightly, "So would you like some tea? I was just finishing preparing some for your Jii-chan and myself but there should be enough to go around."

Kagome smiled at her mother's not-so-subtle attempt at a subject change. She appreciated it though. She wasn't ready to get into the whole mating thing with her yet. She wanted to broach that subject with caution. "Sure, Mama."

So the fur clad couple followed the woman into the kitchen and Kagome led Kouga over to the table. As they sat, Mrs. Higurashi came over with the tea. "So, Kagome, where's Inuyasha? Why didn't he come with you this time?"

"Inuyasha had other things to do." Kouga answered curtly.

"I see." She murmured as she leaned over to pour him some tea. She eyed her daughter sternly. "And what exactly happened to your uniform?"

Kagome looked down at her wolf demon attire. "Um, it got torn and bloody. I had to throw it out."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Those uniforms are expensive, young lady. I'm not made of money you know. You're just going to have to be more careful. I can't afford to keep buying you new ones all the time."

"I know. I'm sorry Mama. I'll try to be more careful."

"BE GONE DEMON!" came a shout from behind them and they were all suddenly showered with purification salt and useless sutras.

Kagome sighed, peeling a sutra off the side of her face. "Kouga, I'd like you to meet my Jii-chan. Don't mind him. He's harmless."

Kouga shook the salt out of his bangs and looked up at the old man. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

But he wasn't paying attention to the wolf. "Kagome! How dare you bring a youkai into our holy shrine!"

Again, Kagome breathed out a longsuffering sigh. "Jii-chan, calm down. Kouga is a _good_ youkai. He doesn't hurt humans."

Kouga nodded, peeling a sutra off his bicep. "Humans are _very_ precious to me." He winked at Kagome and she blushed prettily.

Jii-chan scoffed. "There's no such _thing_ as a good youkai. Demons can't be trusted, Kagome."

"Father." Mrs. Higurashi said in a reprimanding tone. "Please don't be rude to our guest. Kouga is a lovely young man, youkai or not." With that, she poured the last of the tea and returned to the kitchen.

The elderly man grumbled a bit but sat down and began to sip his tea. Moments later, Kagome's mother returned and placed a plate of cookies in the center of the table.

Picking one up and inspecting it, Kagome asked, "Where'd you get these, Mama?" They were those fancy cookies that they usually only have for holidays.

"Oh, that boy from your school brought them over."

"Hojo?" Her mother nodded. "What did he bring them for?"

"To cheer you up while you 'recovered from the measles.'"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "At least Jii-chan picked a sickness I could actually have this time. Who's ever heard of a sixteen year old with gout?" she giggled.

"Those things do happen you know, young lady. Many people aren't blessed with good health." Jii-chan replied.

"I know. I didn't mean to say that it _never_ happens. It's just so rare. I mean look at me. Do I look like I've been sick and in and out of the hospital for the past year?"

"Kagome, you've been sick?" Kouga asked confused. He has seen her consistently over the past year and she never smelt of sickness. What was she talking about?

"No. Its what Jii-chan has been using as an excuse for why I'm not around" she answered and knocked back the dregs of her tea.

Kouga just nodded, not fully understanding the point of the lie. "Who's Hojo?"

"Just a boy." Kagome said nonchalantly.

Kouga's eyes narrowed. "Why does he bring you gifts?" He especially didn't like that bit of information. If a male that is unrelated to a female gives her a gift, it usually means he has romantic interest in her. He didn't like the sound of it.

Kagome snorted. "Because he wants to date me."

"Date?" His eyebrow rose at the unfamiliar word.

"Yeah, um, you know," Kagome scrounged for a word that means the same thing that he would understand. "He wants to…uh…court me."

Kouga's speculations were now confirmed and a deep growl rumbled the floor beneath them. "That is out of the question." Kouga's voice sounded dangerous.

"I know!" Kagome sounded exacerbated. "I've told him 'no' so many times but he doesn't get the hint that I'm not interested."

"I don't understand why," Jii-chan replied. "He's a lovely young man. He'd be good for you."

Kagome glared at him. "I do not _like_ him, Jii-chan."

Kouga started to get up. "Where does this boy live? I'll convince him to leave you alone." He cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"No, Kouga. Leave it be. Hojo's harmless."

Kouga growled once more. "I can't allow this to continue, it's unacceptable. You're _my_ mate, Kagome!"

Kagome cringed internally when the words passed his lips. She could just _feel_ what was going to happen next. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her grandfather's jaw drop and he stared, in a state of shock, with his mouth hanging open.

"What's this?" Kagome's mother asked. She looked confused, but there was a strange light in her eyes.

Kagome let out an uncomfortable, nervous laugh as she scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah…that's kind of the reason why we're here." She swallowed thickly as her family's eyes bored into her. "I've accepted Kouga's proposal. We're mated now."

Understanding crossed her mother's features. "Mated? As in married?" Kagome's throat was slowly closing in her panic and she didn't trust her voice to answer so she just nodded. Mrs. Higurashi's expression transformed to quiet disapproval as Jii-chan exploded in outrage.

"_**WHAT!**_" Kagome cringed at her grandfather's outburst. "But he is _youkai_ Kagome! You can't marry a _demon_!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I _know_ he's a demon, Jii-chan. You don't have to tell _me_ that. But believe me when I tell you that he's a really great guy." Kouga puffed out his chest at the compliment but immediately deflated at the withering glare the old man shot his way. "And he treats me so well. He's the exact opposite of Inuyasha."

"Oh, but I always thought Inuyasha was sweet." Mrs. Higurashi commented disapproval still radiating out of her.

"Maybe to _you_. I think you remind him of his own mother so he respects you and is kind. But Inuyasha is rude, mean and cruel most of the time. _Kouga_, on the other hand, is sweet _all_ the time." She smiled at him, love shining in her eyes. He returned it effortlessly.

Jii-chan was so livid that he was practically choking on his rage. "I do _NOT_ accept this!" with that, he stood and stormed from the room.

Kagome sighed and turned back to her mother's stern face. "Kagome, you're only sixteen."

"That's a perfectly acceptable age where I'm from." Kouga said, not understanding the problem but trying to be helpful anyway.

"Yes, but _this_ is the twenty-first century! Sixteen might have been fine five hundred years ago but _here_ Kagome is much too young!"

Still trying to be helpful, Kouga supplied, "_I_ would be considered too young as well. I'm only one hundred sixty-two, most male wolves don't settle down until _after_ their second century. But love is love and it transcends age." At first, he missed the shock that crossed both women's faces when he revealed his true age but when they continued to stare wide-eyed at him, he became self-conscious. "What?"

"You're over a hundred and fifty years old?" Kagome managed to say.

"Yep! I'm older then Inuyasha by nearly seventy-five years, _including_ the years he spent on the tree which hardly count. The mutt's still a pup compared to me."

That threw Kagome for another loop. "Inuyasha is over eighty years old? Then he was in his _thirties_ when Kikyo bound him to the tree!"

"Yeah. What, you didn't know?" Kagome shook her head furiously. He laughed. "Come on Kagome. We're not human. We don't age like you do."

"Well I _knew_ youkai didn't age the same but you _look_ the same age as _me_! I never really thought about it but I didn't think you were over a hundred, let alone one-fifty!"

Kouga shrugged. It was no big deal to him. He was still young.

"That settles it." Mrs. Higurashi said as she stood. "He is much too old for you. I will not allow it. You're forbidden to mate him. Come on, Kagome." She grabbed her daughter's hand and wrenched her to her feet and began to drag her from the room while Kouga looked on with helpless, wide eyes.

"Wait, Mama! It's already done and it's not something that can be reversed!"

She turned back slowly to stare at her child. "What?"

"Yeah, we're _already_ mated. It's irreversible."

"You can't get an annulment or a divorce or something?"

Kagome glanced at Kouga, her eyes pleaded for help. Even though he didn't understand the words his mate's mother used he got the gist of what she was asking. She wanted to know if the mating binding could be severed. "There are some matings that can be broken. But wolves mate for life and our matings are one of the strongest bonds. Death is the only way I know of to break it."

Seeing the impossibility of it, she looked back at her little girl. "But Kagome, you're _only_ sixteen! You're much too young to be settling down. You haven't even finished your schooling yet!"

"Oh don't worry about that. I'm not giving up on high school or even college. But I still have an obligation to complete the Shikon no Tama, speaking of which, Kouga, you will have to give your shards up eventually." She watched the regretful acceptance cross through his eyes. "Anyway, I'll visit often and finish school. And you know yourself Mama, that I'm much more grown-up than most girls my age. I can handle this."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. She did know that. Her daughter was a heck of a lot more mature than every one of her modern friends. All the girls her age worried about were their grades in school and boys and fashion. Kagome was responsible, had a good head on her shoulders, a kind heart and a strong spirit. She worried over meaningful things, not the shallow and superficial things her friends did. And as she thought of all this, she found herself accepting the situation and grew to be genuinely happy for her. She smiled. "I understand. As long as you know what you're doing, I'll support you."

"Oh thank you, Mama!" And she hugged the older woman.

Mrs. Higurashi laughed lightly. "Why don't you go give my son-in-law a tour of the house while I finish dinner?"

Kagome nodded. "Okay, come on Kouga." With that, she dragged the confused wolf out of the room.

* * *

A/N: So what'd you think? Let me know in a review, and feel free to yell at me for this chapter's lateness.

Kae


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